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Sunday, June 1, 2008

5 Steps To Get You Started Toward The Body Of Your Dreams!

June 2008 – The Five D’s For A Healthy Lifestyle!

Step 1 – DECISION: Plant the seed of health in your mind!

Health begins in the mind. It begins with the DECISION to become healthy. This may seem like an obvious step but please do not take this step lightly. You will be amazed at how many people fail at this initial step. You must DECIDE wholeheartedly toward a healthy lifestyle. Doing so will help thwart against any temptation to change your mind. Remember, the beauty of health is that when you make it a top priority in your life everything else in your life improves!

Once you have made the DECISION for a healthy lifestyle you are ready for the next step:

Step 2 – DESIRE: What do you really want?

We are driven by our strongest DESIRES. Therefore think about the results you wish to achieve most. What gives you the greatest emotional charge? Here are some examples I commonly hear – “I want ripped, flat or sexy abdominals”, “I want an overall lean, toned, and muscular physique”, “I want to be able to take my shirt off in public or wear a bikini without feeling embarrassed”, “I want to play sports without getting fatigued so quickly”, “I want to live a long and healthy life”...so on and so on. So what is it that you really want? What do you want so badly that you will persevere when the going gets tuff? Remember, a really strong DESIRE will overcome any obstacle.

Once you have established a strong DESIRE for health you are ready for the next step:

Step 3 – DESIGN: Create a plan of action!

A common saying is that if you fail to plan you plan to fail. Therefore create a plan to improve your health. Do not worry if the plan is not perfect because any plan is better than no plan. Set realistic goals to move you toward your desire. When DESIGNING your plan try to get support from like minded individuals. There is a saying “you are the average of the 5 people you associate with most”. If you want a healthy lifestyle then associate with people with the same goals. You could then do many healthy activities together such as, hiking, swimming, walking, running, tennis, soccer, dancing, weight training, yoga, etc.

Once you have created a plan of action you are ready for the next step:

Step 4 – DEDICATION: You need to commit to action!

A plan is useless unless it is used. Therefore now that you have a plan of action you must follow it. To follow your plan you need a DEDICATION for action. This step is where most people fail. They simply fail to act and do the work needed to achieve results. But the reason for their failure is usually because they have not made a strong DECISION, established a burning DESIRE, and DESIGNED a plan of action to be carried out. Therefore, because you have done the first 3 steps DEDICATION will come more easily.

To maintain your DEDICATION you need to know the next step:

Step 5 – DIVERSIFY: Keep things fresh!

People have a tendency to create habits when committing to a healthy lifestyle. This can be a problem sometimes. For example, I have often come across people eating the exact same meals everyday for years! I do not know about you but I would give up my healthy lifestyle if it meant I had to eat chicken salad everyday. Remember, variety is the spice of life. The principle of DIVERSIFICATION also applies to exercise. If you do the same program over and over, not only will your progression plateau, but you will get bored. If you are bored and not seeing any further results chances are that you will quit. Therefore, I recommend you reassess your DESIRES and DESIGN new programs based on your goals. This will lead to the achievement of new results and the continuation of your DECISION to live a healthy lifestyle.